Puebla

The city of Puebla fairly bursts with baroque flourishes and the colors of its famed Talavera tiles. The downtown area in particular overflows with religious structures; it probably has more ex-convents and monasteries, chapels, and churches per square mile than anywhere else in the country.

The city center generally follows a tidy grid pattern. The streets are either avenidas or calles, and most are numbered. Avenidas run east (oriente) and west (poniente), while calles run north (norte) and south (sur). Odd-numbered avenidas start south of the zócalo (town square) and even-numbered avenidas start from the square's north side. Odd-numbered calles begin on the west of the zócalo, even-numbered calles to the east.

Some of the blocks are particularly long here, so if you get tired or need to save time, hail a taxi. They're safe and should cost no more than $4 for a ride in the city center—just remember to fix the price before you set off.